Electric socket



April 26, 1938. F. H. wEsToN ELECTRIC SOCKET Illl l Inventor:

Frederick H Weston bg His Attorneq Filed March 20, 1936 Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATES ELECTRIC SOCKET Frederick H. Weston, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application March 20,

2 Claims.

My invention relates to electric sockets and more particularly to such sockets for use in confined spaces.

An object oi my invention is to provide an improved socket which is adapted to facilitate the `insertion and removal of a lamp located in a very conned space.

What I consider to be novel and my invention will be better understood by reference to the lo following specification and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a side elevation of a portion of a vacuum cleaner partly in section; Fig. 2 is an enlarged, sectional view of a portion l5 of the vacuum cleaner with my improved socket mounted in position; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the lamp moved ready for removal from the socket, Fig. 4 is an exploded, perspective view of the socket, and' Fig. 5 is a perspective .m view partly in section of a modified construction.

Referring to the drawing, I indicates a portion of a vacuum cleaner having a recess II to accommodatev a light. In recess Il, a reflector I2 is secured with a lamp I3 located in position in front of it. For connecting lamp I3 to the electrical supply, a socket I4 is provided in which the lamp I3 is mounted. As is better indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, socketjl4 consists of a cylindrical metal shell I5 and base I6 of insulating 9,0 material. To secure the lamp I3 in the socket I4 the usual bayonet slots I1 and I8 are provided which receive the pins, not shown, pro'- vided on the base of the lamp I3. Mounted on base IB are two spring contacts I9 and 20 which g5 are connected to terminals 2l one of which is shown in Fig. 4. Base I6 is secured in shell I5 by peening over portions of the bottom end of shell I5 at spaced points 22 into engagement with the bottom of base I6. It is frequently necessary i() to mount sockets of this type in very confined spaces. By way of example the socket is illustrated in the drawing as being mounted in the space provided for a light in a vacuum cleaner. The recess II is amply large to accommodate 45 the lamp I3 and socket I4. However, it is not suiiiciently large to permit easy removal of the' lamp so that it would be necessary to. disassemble the vacuum cleaner to replace the lamp I3 if the socket were rigidly mounted in position. 50 Thus to permit the ready removal of lamp I3 without disassembly of the vacuum cleaner, socket- I4 is provided with a U-shaped supporting clip 23 with tangs 24 projecting from the bottom sides of the two arms and adapted to enter openings 25 provided 'in shell I5. Only one of 1936, Serial No. 69,809

such openings 25 may be seen in Fig. 4 but a similar opening is provided at the opposite side. By this arrangement the shell I5 is pivotally mounted in the supporting clip 23. To secure the supporting clip 23 to its housing, an opening 5 26 is provided through which a bolt or screw may pass. As better indicated in Fig. 3, the lamp I3 is removed by tilting it forwardA pivoting the socket shell I5 about the tangs 24 until the top of lamp I3 is substantially clear of the opening 10 i of recess Il. In this position, lamp I3 may be twisted readily to disengage the pins from bayonet slots I1 and I3 and the lamp may be removed from theshell I5.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 5 l5 shell 21 is provided with an insulating covering consisting of a sleeve 28 and skirt 23 both of insulating material. Sleeve 28 is secured to shell 21 by means of integral projections 30 which extend into openings 3i. For pivotal mounting 20 of shell 21 openings 32 are provided in sleeve 28 smaller in diameter than corresponding openings 33 in shell 21 (only one oi the openings being shown) into which tangs 24 of supporting clip 23 enter. By this arrangement tangs 24 do not 25 engage the metal shell 21 and so the shell 21 is insulated from its support. Skirt` 29 has an inlturned annular edge 34 which engages a projectying ear 35 of the base to hold the skirt in`position below the supporting clip 23.

From the foregoing it may be seen that an improved socket is provided which facilitates the replacement of a lamp when the socket is located in a confined space.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by 35 Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. An electric socket and support therefor comprising a cylindrical shell for the socket having spaced openings and a flexible U-shaped clip yieidingly gripping said Shen to hom it in normal position, said clip having projections extending into said openings whereby said shell is pivotally mounted for movement from said normal position upon flexing of said clip.

2. A .n electric socket and support therefor comprising a socket shell having spaced openings and a flexible U-shaped clip gripping said shell to hold it in normal position, said clip having integral projections extending from the bottom 50 of the arms of the U near their outer ends and entering the 'openings in the shell to permit pivotal movement to a second position upon ilexlng o! said clip.

FREDERICK H. WESTON. 

